Sweet and Spicy Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta

Do you ever find something on sale at the grocery store that sounds so good you can't pass it up, but then you get it home and have no idea how to use it? I do it all the time. I saw this chicken and apple sausage for a really great price (under $2 for the 1 lb package) and originally thought it would be great to just fry in the skillet and eat for lunch with some fruit and cheese. Then I got it home and lost my nerve to taste it so I threw it in the freezer until I could find a recipe for it.

Fast forward a month and that sausage seemed to be taunting me from the freezer so I turned to Pinterest. I found this awesome twist on one of my favorite dishes, Spicy Sausage Pasta, and thawed those sausages out to give it a try.

I was still a bit hesitant about the sausages. I didn't know if they would be super sweet or if they would have a different texture from the turkey smoked sausage I usually use. I was also concerned about combining apples with the zesty diced tomatoes and green chilies.

Here's what I discovered:

*Chicken and apple sausage is awesome! It has the same general texture and flavor as turkey smoked sausage with just a tiny bit of sweetness to it. In fact, the sweetness is almost an aftertaste, but a good one.
*Apples play well with tomatoes and green chilies. The sweetness of the apple tempers the spice of the green chilies and the tartness of the tomatoes. In the interest of full disclosure I will add that I used a Gala apple instead of a Granny Smith which probably added more sweetness but it was a sweetness that I personally enjoyed. I might try it again with the Granny Smith for a different texture and flavor, but the Gala worked fine for me.
*The cheese is completely optional. I love cheese, don't get me wrong. I just think it's unnecessary in this recipe. I might feel differently if I could finish it off under the broiler like the original recipe recommends, but I don't have an oven-safe skillet. I'll stick with the cheese-free version for now.

This is a fantastic spin on a recipe I already loved. I will be making this again as soon as that chicken and apple sausage goes on sale, and next time it won't spend nearly two months in the fridge before I get around to cooking it.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta

Source: Inspired by Charm

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken and apple sausage, sliced
1 small onion, diced (optional)
1 small granny smith apple, chopped (or any other firm, tart apple)
2 cloves  garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (the recipe says cream but I used 2% and it was just fine)
8 oz pasta shapes
1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is beginning to soften and the sausage is mostly browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the apple and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, chicken broth, milk, and pasta.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low/medium-low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.

Remove from the heat and stir in about half of the cheese. Sprinkle the other half of the cheese on top. If you are using an oven-safe skillet feel free to stick it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese, but if not just give it a few minutes to melt and then serve.

Serve warm with bread to sop up the sauce.

Taco Spaghetti

Oh, Yaya... She knows how to combine the strangest foods to create something wonderful. I mean, who would think of mixing tacos with spaghetti, right?

Taco spaghetti is made like a casserole and served like a taco salad. Admiral mentioned that part of what makes tacos so appealing is all the different textures. You have warm taco meat, a crunchy shell, and crisp lettuce all in one delicious little package and the best part about taco spaghetti is that you get all of those textures plus pasta!

The recipe makes a lot of food. It's not terribly expensive, especially if you find ground beef or turkey on sale, and it's just as tasty as leftovers. I hope this first recipe back after my hiatus makes up for the last month of missed recipes.

Taco Spaghetti

Source: Yaya original

For the casserole:

8 oz spaghetti or linguini
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (or 1 packet of taco seasoning)

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup salsa (optional, I skipped it this time but the flavor was a little lacking)

1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained

1 (10 oz) package frozen corn, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans (optional, I skipped them this time)
1 1/2 cups cheddar or colby jack cheese, shredded

For serving:
tortilla chips
shredded lettuce
diced tomatoes
shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese

sliced black olives
sour cream
salsa
guacamole

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

Cook the pasta according to the package directions in a large pot and don't forget to salt the water. Once the pasta is cooked to al dente drain and rinse with cold water and set aside. Be careful not to cook the pasta past al dente because it will continue to cook as you mix it with the meat mixture and in the oven.

Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook until they are beginning to soften and become clear.

Add the ground beef or turkey and season with the 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste) and cook until the meat is browned.

Add the water and taco seasoning and simmer until nearly all of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the salsa, green chilies, corn, and black beans and cook until everything is heated through (my corn was still a little frozen).

Add the pasta and mix it in. I've found it's easier to mix with a good strong pair of tongs or with a pasta fork (OXO is a great brand) but it's difficult to get the ingredients to mix with the pasta without a sticky sauce to help. Just do the best you can.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add about 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix until combined. The cheese will probably melt quickly and help all the taco meat mixture stick to the pasta some.

Transfer the whole thing to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top, and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve warm in the style of a taco salad.

Add whatever taco toppings you like and some crushed tortilla chips for crunch.

Mine had chips, lettuce, black olives, salsa, and a little extra cheese.

Pizza Baked Spaghetti (Updated)

I'm back with another update of an old, well-used recipe, one more on the list of recipes I "stole" from work way back in high school. Last time I posted this recipe I was unable to include photographs and since it's been quite awhile (over two years) since I first posted the recipe I thought it could use an update.

Probably one of Fazoli's most popular dishes is the baked spaghetti. It's a simple spaghetti marinara topped with mozzarella and then run through the conveyor oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Every so often they would have a special item on the menu, pizza baked spaghetti, which had added sausage crumbles and pepperoni.

I never ate the pizza baked spaghetti when I worked there, but I did borrow the idea when I moved out on my own and started making it in a large batches as a family meal using Yaya's spaghetti sauce which already contains sausage. One of the cool things about this recipe is that it's so easy to make it your own. You can add whatever pizza toppings you like on your pizza. I have made this with green peppers, mushrooms, and black olives, my favorite pizza toppings, but most of the time I stick with Aaron's favorite, plain pepperoni.

This spaghetti is a crowd pleaser. It's loaded with bubbly, brown cheese and delicious homemade sauce and of course, crispy pepperoni. It's the perfect alternative to your regular spaghetti night.

Pizza Baked Spaghetti

Source: Adapted from Fazoli's recipe

1 recipe Yaya's spaghetti sauce (or 1 jar of your favorite sauce)
16 oz spaghetti
2-3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
30-40 slices pepperoni
other pizza toppings (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish (I made 1/2 the recipe so mine is in an 8x8 dish this time) with vegetable oil spray. Cook your sauce according to the recipe and the spaghetti according to the package directions.

Drain the pasta and transfer it in an even layer to the bottom of the baking dish.

Spoon the sauce evenly over the spaghetti. You may not use all of your sauce, especially if you're using the homemade sauce. The recipe seems to make slightly more than needed for 1 lb of spaghetti.

Sprinkle about 1 1/2-2 cups of the mozzarella over the sauce.

Add your toppings in an even layer. We just had pepperoni this time. Add the remaining mozzarella to partially cover the toppings and sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is browned to your liking.

Serve warm with salad and garlic bread if desired.

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Are you ready for an unbelievably simple yet satisfyingly delicious weeknight meal? Because this certainly fits the bill!

Tender egg noodles, juicy chicken and vegetables, and creamy sauce create an old fashioned casserole that the whole family will love. This meal can be made ahead of time and uses pre-cooked chicken, cream of chicken soup, and frozen vegetables, all combined to form a creamy masterpiece. But you don't have to trust me, just try it yourself!

Chicken Noodle Casserole

Source: The Taylor House

2 cups cooked chicken breast, cubed, diced, or shredded
8 oz egg noodles
12-16 oz package frozen mixed vegetables
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1-2 cups cheddar or mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.

Cook the egg noodles according to the package directions.

Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl.

Add the cream of chicken and mixed vegetables and stir to combine.

When the noodles are cooked (just slightly short of al dente) drain them and add them to the mixing bowl. Stir again. Season with salt and pepper and stir once more.

Transfer the entire mixture to the prepared baking dish.

Sprinkle the cheese on top and cover with foil.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, remove the foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown.

Serve hot with bread to mop up the sauce.

Nana's Macaroni and Cheese

Ooh! I've been dying to post this recipe since I first started the blog but I'm always too lazy to take the pictures when I make it for lunch. I ate this almost every weekday of my childhood. Nana made a pot every day at lunch for my cousin J and me to share. She's probably made it for me hundreds of times, if not thousands.

Turkey Lasagna

It's a Valentine's Day tradition for Aaron and I to have lasagna for dinner. It's the meal I made for our first Valentine's Day together, and our second, and a handful in between as well. It's one of my favorite meals to make for special occasions because the layers are impressive but the process (while time consuming and messy) is very simple.

Basic Marinara Sauce

For spaghetti I almost always use Yaya's spaghetti sauce. It's hearty, meaty, and perfectly seasoned. But when a recipe calls for spaghetti sauce I like to use something a little more simple.

Lazy Alfredo Sauce

I have several Alfredo sauce recipes and most of them could be classified as lazy, but this one is really the easiest one I've ever tried. I have a one recipe where you cream together softened butter and Parmesan cheese with a mixer and add cream that I thought was as simple as it could get. Then I came across this recipe which is basically the same except there's no need to waste your time with the bowl and the mixer.

Yaya's Chicken and Veggie Spaghetti Pie

Of all the things my mom cooks this is by far one of my favorite recipes. I have asked for this as my birthday dinner more than once. Even though it's the same recipe mine never tastes quite like Yaya's but isn't that typical? I mean, I use her spaghetti sauce recipe and mine never tastes like hers and I use Nana's lasagna recipe and it tastes totally different.

Sausage and Cheese Tortellini Soup

It's cold, y'all! At 11:30 at night it's 26 degrees outside. And I live in Tennessee! I don't mind the cold, I actually prefer it to the heat, especially the muggy, humid heat we get here. Bailey doesn't seem to mind the cold either but we have two cars with the heat somewhat on the fritz. Aaron's truck has no heat at all and mine only has defrost or it blows at your feet. I guess that's better than last year when the defrost didn't work but it makes it hard to take Bailey anywhere when she can't wear a coat in the car and it takes forever (and a ton of gas) for the car to warm up.

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

I had never been a huge fan of meatballs until about 4 years ago. I'm not particularly fond of ground beef except in chili or hamburgers, I've always loathed meatloaf, and the thought of eating reheated leftover meatballs used to turn my stomach. Of course all of this was before I tried the mozzarella stuffed meatballs from Annie's Eats. They made me rethink my whole outlook on meatballs which is why I finally decided to try these.

Baked Ravioli

If you're looking for a quick, simple dinner this is it! The whole thing comes together in about ten minutes and then just needs a bit of time in the oven.

Pizza Lasagna Roll-ups

Finally! After over two weeks without posting a recipe I'm back on track.

I've been trying to make this recipe for several weeks. It kept getting pushed back because I either wasn't in the mood to cook it or Aaron wasn't in the mood to eat it.

If you've never made lasagna roll-ups now is the time to try them.

Taco Stuffed Shells

I would have to call this meal Tex-Mex/Italian fusion. It's a satisfying combination of Italian pasta and Tex-Mex taco meat smothered in cheese with salsa in place of the marinara sauce.

Chicken and Tortellini Soup

Ah, comfort food.

Comfort food is different for everyone. It's usually the foods that you remember from childhood. Meals that your mother made for you, especially the kinds of meals that didn't make it into regular rotation on the menu.

Crock Pot Italian Chicken and Pasta (updated)

Don't worry, I haven't changed the recipe a bit. It's just that the photographs for the original post were so blurry that I wanted to give this recipe a second go. It is one of my favorite recipes. I make it once a month and I wouldn't change a thing.

Lazy Baked Ziti

If you have all day to work on dinner (making homemade sauce and such) I would recommend going with Pioneer Woman's version of Baked Ziti. However, if you don't have the time for all that (or if you're feeling particularly lazy) this is a great alternative.

Garlicky Pasta with Tuscan Chicken

You know those recipes you see and you keep going back and thinking One day I'll have the courage and energy to try that one? This is one of those recipes.

I read the ingredients list and thought it sounded like a meal that I used to order at Olive Garden. Garlic and herb chicken with broccoli. Lightly breaded chicken served over pasta, tossed in a light garlic, white wine, and Parmesan sauce with crisp broccoli.

Skillet Enchilada Pasta

A skillet meal! You know what that means... easy to cook, easy to eat, and easy to clean!

I am all about skillet meals on busy nights. Any recipe that says "One-Pan" in the title usually leaps to the top of my try it list. What's easier than throwing everything in the pan and letting it simmer for a few minutes?

Creamy Garlic Shells

I've noticed that I rarely post recipes for side dishes. I guess it's because I'm always so focused on the main dish. It might also be because we usually eat the same sides with every meal I make.